instantaneus

Forms

īnstantāneus (feminine īnstantānea, neuter īnstantāneum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

Formed in Medieval Latin,^[2][3] it is from Latin īnstāns (“present, instant”),^[1] the present participle of īnstō (“to press on, be at hand”).^[4][1] The MLW refers to Stotz's handbook for the way it was formed.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first dated record is in a letter of Robert Grosseteste of 1236, which says that giving birth is not instantaneous but gradual;^[5] the DMLBS lists a quotation from Robert of Flamborough's Penitential before it.^[5] Köbler also dates Latham's first record to 1236.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The word belongs to the language of medieval philosophy, where it describes a change or an act that takes place in a single instant rather than over a span of time.^[2][5] Albertus Magnus speaks of many instantaneous changes that are not motions,^[2] and Thomas Aquinas uses it in the Summa contra Gentiles.^[6]

In the Latin of Poland and Bohemia it could also mean “insistent, urgent”, taking up the other sense of īnstāns.^[7][8]

Timeline

• 1236 – Robert Grosseteste, in a letter, denies that giving birth is instantaneous.^[5][4]
• 1259–1265 – Thomas Aquinas uses it in the Summa contra Gentiles.^[6]
• 15th century – A Polish legal text uses it for “insistent”.^[7]
• 1522 – A Cracow print speaks of urgent petitions with this word.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (Medieval Latin) Instantaneous, happening in a moment; sudden, very brief.^[3][2][5][9]
2. (Medieval Latin) Insistent, urgent.^[7][8]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d e Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b Schütz, Ludwig (1895), Thomas-Lexikon, 2nd ed., Paderborn: F. Schöningh
7. ^ a b c d Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
8. ^ a b Latinitatis medii aevi lexicon Bohemorum / Slovník středověké latiny v českých zemích (1977–), Prague: Academia; electronic version, Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences
9. ^ Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE